


Rage of the Other

by Roguefemme



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Disturbing Themes, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Wraith (Stargate)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-11-30 06:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11458089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguefemme/pseuds/Roguefemme
Summary: Other [uhth -er] verb (used with object)to perceive or treat (a group or member of a group) as different, foreign, strangeNot every human who serves the Wraith is brainwashed. And sometimes no one but another outcast can understand the pain of being cast out.





	1. The Vow is Made

**Author's Note:**

> As I mentioned in the tags, this contains some disturbing themes such as psychological manipulation and the aftereffects of childhood trauma. Maybe the most disturbing part is that the Wraith aren't the most villainous characters in this fic. Read on with caution.

  
    She paused just before leaving the trees, and saw him.    
  
    He stood in the clearing watching the others pursue the scattering humans. He was calm, wary; fierce even in repose; every inch of him reflects the predator he is. Long, snow-white hair flowed down around deathly pale skin on a sharp face to stream over a long doublet of some lustrous animal hide, the garment fitted to his broad shoulders and narrow waist and sweeping down from his hips to his booted feet, sleeves stopping just short of his pale, clawed hands.  
  
    He was perfect.  
  
    She emerged from the trees. The other Wraith, intent on the fleeing ones, did not even notice the one human moving unhurriedly into their midst.  
  
    He turned. His eyes were as feral as the rest of him, yellow, with slitted pupils now following the steps of the human approaching him. He stood, his attention fixed on her, and she boldly met his eyes.  
  
    She unfastened the laces of her bodice as she walked, and stopped before him. He was so tall that she had to look up to see his face. She liked that. She pulled loose the final tie of her blouse and it fell open, baring the pale skin between her breasts.  
  
    He stepped closer, watching, waiting for her to run, but she didn't move. Her gaze drank him in, enamored of his power, his ferocity. She lifted a hand to his face...  
  
    ...hesitated. Watching him.  
  
    "Are you so eager for death, little human?" his multitonal voice made her shiver.  
  
    "I have no desire to live," she answered. "I hate it here. I hate the villagers, and they hate me." She studied him, fascinated even as her heart pounded and her limbs trembled with the instinct to flee. "They say you are evil, but I believe it is they who are evil. I would rather die at your hands than live with them."  
  
    He stared at her consideringly, his predator eyes all the more disconcerting for the sharp intelligence in their depths. "Come with me." He clasped her shoulder and she let out an involuntary pain sound as a claw dug into wounded flesh. He turned abruptly, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils subtly flared, scenting the air. Then he released her shoulder and turned away. "Follow me."  
  
    She hurried after him into one of their sharp-pointed ships.  
  
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
    Once on the hive ship he led her into a large chamber, and as they entered the girl's eyes were immediately drawn to the tall female Wraith who sat there in a throne-like chair, every line of her frame radiating strength and power. They stopped before the throne and the girl held breathlessly still as the Queen's gaze raked over her. The tall male stepped forward and met the Queen's eyes, communicating. Distantly the girl envied their silent connection, wondering what it must be like to have such effortless silent closeness, until the Queen's attention fixed upon her again and drove all other thoughts from her mind.  
  
    "Why do you not wish to stay with your own kind?" the Queen asked.  
  
    The girl's face hardened. "They are NOT my kind." She stripped her blouse and bodice down and turned her back to the Queen, showing the half-healed whip cuts striping her back and shoulders. "They did this to me. Not as punishment, but merely because they could. Even the ones who didn't help them did nothing to stop them. And they all knew." She turned back, pulling her blouse up over her shoulders. "I was **glad** when you came. Let _them_ taste fear and pain now. Let _them_ cower in the shadows. I welcome you as my avengers."  
  
    The Queen stood, her glance moving to the tall male Wraith standing nearby, then back to the girl. She regally descended from the dais. "If you truly wish to die, we can... accommodate you. But you could be more than food." The Queen gazed down at the girl, tilting her head in an inhuman gesture. "Serve us, and you could live to see your revenge."  
  
    "Serve.. you? You wish this?" The girl's eyes were fixed upon the Queen's face, rapt, and she tilted her head in unconscious imitation of the Queen. "What can I do?" Was not a human mere food to these splendid predators?  
   
    "Many humans reject the Wraith, and hate us for what we do to survive," The Queen's many-toned voice was chilling, yet to the terribly lonely young girl it was strangely soothing at the same time. "They reject the natural order of things." The Queen touched her cheek, tracing a thick clawed finger down the side of her face, and heedless of the danger the girl tilted her face into the touch. "However, the wisest of them accept their place. They become the most favored of their kind, our treasured servants."  
  
    "Yes..." the girl breathed, opening her eyes to gaze up at her Queen. "Yes. Give me this. Treat me better than they did, and I will serve you loyally all my life." The Queen inclined her head, and the girl sank to one knee at the Queen's feet, bowing her head humbly.  
  
  



	2. A New Life

The young woman had expected to be sent off on her own or perhaps herded away by one of the obviously subordinate masked males, but instead the Commander himself led her from the Queen's chamber and down the corridor. The ship was like nothing she had ever known, dimmer-lit than she was used to and humid, with cloudy vapor lingering just above floor level which brushed around their feet as they walked. They stopped before a door and the Commander touched the control next to it. 

"This will be yours," he informed her, and even that simple statement fascinated her when spoken in his smooth chordal voice. "You are to bathe and dress; better attire will be brought for you so you may make your appearance suitable for your new role."

"I will do my best to please her," she replied with a humble bow of her head. Then her breath caught when his clawed fingers touched under her chin, tipping it up so her eyes met his.

"I did not bring you back here to be one of the worshipers who are subservient to every Wraith. You have the strength and dignity to stand above them; you must only prove it to Her. If you show yourself to be worthy then you will serve the Queen alone, but She will never think well of a female who bows to males. She has placed you under my care for now and so you will accept instruction from me, but remember that among the Wraith females stand above males. Do not attempt to command Her males unless She permits it, but do not allow them to dominate you or they will never respect you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," It took effort for the young woman to resist bowing her head to him again, but she merely gave a small nod. 

"Good," he said, and she could not help smiling a bit because he sounded pleased. "She will send for you later. You will have time to make yourself ready, but do not dawdle. She will not want to wait for you. You must pass Her tests, but I know you will be equal to them if you make the effort."

"And if I please Her, then She will be pleased with you for bringing me to Her?" The girl liked this idea, for although she knew little of the Commander - not even his name, if Wraith had names - but he treated her like she _mattered_ , and for that she wanted to repay him. 

"Indeed," he replied. "But She can also give you power," he added, watching carefully for her reaction. "Not that of a Queen, but more than you have ever had before." The young woman inhaled, her trepidation forgotten as she stared at him with wide eyes, but he could read in the oddly green depths of her eyes what he had hoped to see: the desire there showed that this young human who had lived powerless was not broken, but given the chance she would seize power with all her strength and hold it. "You want that, don't you?" he asked, knowing the answer but wanting her to say it.

"Power," she whispered, awestruck. "Yes. Oh yes."

"Good," and now he did smile slightly. "Remember, even if the other males frighten you, you are female. They dare not raise a hand to you without Her word. And males of our kind instinctively wish to obey a female."

"I will." Already her voice was steadier and calmer.

"Very well. I will come back for you when She sends for you." He bowed his head to her and left.

Once left alone the girl looked over the room, which was nearly as big as the entire hut she had lived in before. Then she opened the other door and ventured into the smaller room which held a necessary and the biggest bathtub she had ever seen: longer than she was tall, wider at the middle than the span of her arms, and deep enough nearly to swim in. The faucet was plainly visible, but it took some poking around before she discovered the strip that when touched caused water to begin pouring into the tub. Then a sound from the next room drew her attention. She hurried in and opened the door to find a tall male Wraith holding an armful of clothing.

"The Queen sends these for you," he told her, staring down at her forebodingly. 

"Very well," the girl drew herself up, remembering the Commander's words. "You may put them on the bed." It felt odd and a little frightening to speak so to this powerful being, but she was determined to show that she could be what the Queen wanted. 

Without another word the male stalked to the bed but instead of merely putting down the armful as she expected, he laid out each piece of the clothing carefully so it would not wrinkle, then bowed to her briefly and left. Her pulse still racing, she moved closer to examine the attire, marveling at the rich colors and lustrous fabric. She reached to touch the fabric, but noticed the dirt streaking her hand and shame curled her fingers away without touching the clothing.

She squared her shoulders and went into the next room to bathe. The tub was already half filled and although the water stung the injuries on her back, making her wince, she washed thoroughly and emerged from the water sweet-smelling from the bottles of cleaning oils provided, and feeling much restored. As she wrapped herself in the soft towel, she looked up at the mirror nearby and abruptly became aware how her face was obscured by strands of wet hair - the instinctive hiding of one long accustomed to self-abasement. The realization made her angry at herself. She pictured the Queen so tall and strong, Her long silken hair drawn back to show Her proud face, and the girl lifted her chin, straightened her back, and with the towel secured around her she shoved both hands into her hair, pushing it back from her face. 

"I hide from no one now," she informed her image in the mirror, and went into the bedchamber to put on her new clothes.


	3. Passing the Test

  
When the Commander returned she was seated on the bed with her hands folded on her lap. A blush touched her cheeks as he looked her over, for she was unused to wearing clothing of such eye-catchingly deep colors or a neckline low enough to show the top of her bosom. Nonetheless she held herself proudly straight under his gaze, refusing to look weak before him.  
  
"The bodice is awkward to manage yourself," he observed. "I will help you." He made a come here gesture and she rose and went to him. "Face the mirror," he instructed, and busied himself with the laces she had struggled to even out. He loosened them and shifted the bodice, and rested one clawed hand along the side of her waist to ensure the garment was positioned properly over her form.  
  
She inhaled sharply, transfixed by the warmth and light pressure of his hand even through the leather of the bodice. He froze, sniffing the air, and moved infinitesimally closer to better scent her skin. He smoothed his other hand over the back of the bodice and rested it on the other side mirroring its mate, and now he could not miss her response.  
  
"I had not thought you were old enough to respond to males," despite his effort, his voice was not as smooth as normal.  
  
"I'm small for my age," she murmured, her own voice a little unsteady, unnerved by the unfamiliar feelings and a little worried. "And I have not... reacted this way before." Not that any male of the village had ever looked at her in such a way, much less touched her. But even if they had, she was certain she would not have felt such a rush of sensation as she did at the touch of this enticingly powerful being.  
  
"You must not," now she could not mistake the rasp in his voice. "If She believes you a rival for her males, She will kill you."  
  
That frightened her enough to chase away the more pleasant sensations and she shifted slightly away from his touch. He stood, removing his hands from her waist, and looked over her shoulder to the mirror so he could meet her gaze in it.  
  
"She will test you now, to ensure you are loyal to us and not the humans." His voice returned to normal as he continued to speak on a less dangerous subject. "You will know what to do; you must only have the resolve to do it."  
  
She nodded thoughtfully and queried, "Do - do you have names?"  
  
"Questions later. Come with me now," he beckoned to her. "We will meet Her at our destination."  
  
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"These are what remain of the humans we took from this culling," the Queen indicated the dozens of humans in the pods around the cavernous room.  
  
The young woman nodded. She had already recognized many of their faces, but the familiarity carried no warmth. She made no acknowledgement of their attempts to get her attention, but looked back to her Queen.  
  
"Now you will make a choice," the Queen pronounced. "We took these to feed the rest of the crew upon, but I have instructed the males to wait for your order. You may either give them permission to feed, or choose that the humans be freed on the next habitable world we pass." The Queen turned, staring intimidatingly down at the smaller female. "But each decision carries a price. If you free them, we leave you with them. If you give the order to feed, then you must stay and watch them be consumed. Now," she gracefully waved a clawed hand in the direction of the humans, "Look at them, and decide."  
  
The nearest humans had been able to hear the conversation, and as the young woman moved from the Queen's side to regard the humans they began to implore her to free them, some growing desperate enough to beg.  
  
She began to move along the wall of pods, the Commander silently staying by her side.  
  
"How they plead for mercy, and beg for help from me," the young woman observed coolly, her heart growing cold with anger. "When I had no power, they looked away and did not see me. Now they see me." She turned her words to the villagers. "Do you remember, I wonder, when I cried, and pleaded for help?" She looked around at them, her young face stony. "Surely you must, for it was more than once." She drew herself up straighter, and the resulting pain in her back from the stiff leather bodice rubbing against the half-healed wounds was enough to kill any sympathy she might have felt for the villagers. She smiled, and it was not a pleasant expression. "And I will do for you now what you did for me then." She leaned forward, dropping her voice so the next word came out a Wraithlike hiss. " _Nothing!_ "  
  
She turned to the waiting group of male Wraith. "You may feed." Ignoring the resultant screams, the young woman returned to the Queen's side.  The Queen looked down at her, a hint of cold smile curling up the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Very good," the Queen purred. "But now you will stay here and watch as they are fed upon. Can you do that?"  
  
"I can, my Queen," the young woman said, quietly marveling at the Queen's regality; so much more splendid than any of these wretched _humans_.  
  
"Then stay here, and when it is done come to my throne room to attend me," the Queen commanded.  
  
"Yes, my Queen," she responded obediently. The Queen nodded once and left, most of her entourage following her out. To the young woman's surprise, however, the Commander stayed.  
  
"Are you going to feed?" she asked, looking up at him curiously.  
  
"No, I have had my fill," he stepped to her side and faced the feeding as she did. "I am staying so that none of our warriors become overeager and forget that you are not to be touched." His response made perfect sense, yet it startled her.  
  
"You are staying... to _protect_ me?" her newfound calm evaporated under astonishment. In all her memory, no one had ever done such a thing for her.  
  
"In a manner of speaking, yes," he replied, tilting his head curiously at her reaction.  
  
She turned her face away hastily from his discerning gaze. The humans' pleas, screams, and curses left her unaffected, but her eyes stung with tears at the thought that the Commander had stayed for _her_ , to _protect_ her. Perhaps he did so only under the Queen's orders, but it made little difference. She **_mattered_ ** here, to them.  
  
"Thank you," she murmured, and he bowed his head in response. For a long moment they regarded each other, then both looked back to the feeding.  
  
"We do have names," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear. "We simply do not share them with our prey. Mine is Lastlight."  
  
"Lastlight," she repeated quietly, enjoying the sound of it and delighted that he had shared it with her.  
  
"Yes. Eventually you will learn the names of all in this hive. And your name?" he asked, his eyes upon the feeding. Only when she hesitated did his catlike eyes turn to her for a moment, to find her biting her lip in worried thought.  
  
"I... I do not know," she replied. "I don't want the name the humans gave me, but I have no other." In truth she wanted a Wraith name but knew she could not dare ask for one.  
  
"Then you should think of one," Lastlight said, in a tone of advice rather than a command. "The Queen will require it."  
  
She gave a nod and started to speak, but anything she might have said was forgotten when one of the warriors stopped nearby and reached for her. Although his mask hid his eyes, the young human could feel that he was looking at her with far too much eagerness.  
  
Lastlight hissed a warning at the warrior, who instinctively took a step back, the mask turning to Lastlight, then the warrior turned away and went back to the mass of Wraith and captive humans. The human released a shuddering breath she had not realized she was holding, and looked up again at the Commander's - Lastlight's - face. True to his word, he had protected her.  
  
"After this the Queen will ensure all of this hive know you are not food," he remarked as calmly as if he had not just had to save her life. She nodded wordlessly, unsure how else to respond. "And once you are accepted as ours, then those of other hives will know that to feed on you will be an act of war with our hive."  
  
"I am not accepted now?" she gave him a quick glance, worried afresh.  
  
"You will be soon," he assured her and the tension in her shoulders eased as the calm certainty in his voice soothed her. "You are already proving yourself to our Queen."  
  
She smiled, relaxing, and they stood together in companionable silence, watching the warriors cart off the withered remains of the villagers.  
  
"Zhymia," she murmured thoughtfully, and glanced at her companion. "The name of a traveler from stories I heard long ago. That will be my name. If it will suit."  
  
"Zhymia," he echoed, and she felt warmth from him even without looking at or touching him. "That will do. And our Queen is Highcloud. You must not address Her by name, but you should know because you are now of Queen Highcloud's hive."  
  
The young woman gave him a short nod, her face composed. "I am Zhymia, of Queen Highcloud's hive." But the smile she was struggling against would not be contained, and soon lit her face with joy. She was of the Queen's hive now. She _belonged_.  
  
Lastlight bent his arm and offered it to her. It took her a moment to understand the silent offer, then she smiled brilliantly again and slipped her hand through the bend of his arm. Thus he escorted her out of the room with all the noble dignity as if he was escorting the Queen herself.  
  
  
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Their Queen was already in the throne room seated on the throne when they arrived.  
  
"You proved yourself," she pronounced, her multitonal voice warm with satisfaction as she looked down upon the young human, then she switched her gaze to Lastlight. "You have done well to bring this one to Me. Leave us."  
  
The dismissal seemed a bit abrupt to Zhymia, but he appeared undaunted and even had a hint of a smile curving up the corner of his mouth as he bowed.  
  
"Yes, my Queen." His catlike eyes flicked to Zhymia for a moment, then he turned smartly and left.  
  
"Come here," the Queen beckoned, and waved a clawed hand toward a large cushion set next to her feet. The young human approached but hesitated before the cushion, unsure exactly what was expected of her. "Sit," the queen ordered, her voice a bit colder, and Zhymia quickly took the last few steps and seated herself. She shifted about a little as she tried to figure out which way the Queen wished her to face, but stopped when a large clawed hand came to rest with surprising gentleness upon her hair. The Queen smoothed her hand down Zhymia's hair, and the caress was bliss to the mistreated young woman who had scarcely known tender touch in her life.  
  
"You are a good girl, and you have done very well," the Queen purred, continuing to stroke her hair. "You will continue to please Me, won't you?"  
  
If the touch lowered the girl's defenses, the compliments crumbled them to dust. Tears stung at her eyes. _A good girl. Have done very well._ She shivered, overwhelmed by the warmth that was unfamiliar but which she had craved so badly for so long, struggling to keep her unsteady breath from turning to sobs.  A male entered the room but Zhymia scarcely noticed, her attention wholly on the Queen.  
  
"Yes, my Queen," she gasped, "whatever you wish."  
  
"Good," Highcloud purred with a hint of maternal pride. "Now go along with the healer." The girl sat up, staring at the Queen with wide-eyed alarm at the sudden dismissal, wondering if she had done something wrong. The Queen smiled down at her soothingly. "You must have your wounds treated so that you will heal and be well to serve me. I do not want My sweet servant wounded and in pain."  
  
"As you command, my Queen," Smiling through her tears, the girl rose to her feet and bowed before her Queen.  
  
As the girl left with the healer the queen smiled after them, already making plans. What a very useful little tool Lastlight had presented Her with, and She intended to make very good use of it.


End file.
